EssenceMediacom creates a globe-trotting cooking show for TUI, inspiring lovers of food and travel

Many people associate travel agency TUI with sun-soaked resorts for “fly-and-flop” travelers, who are intent on lounging and relaxing. However, TUI’s portfolio traverses a diverse range of holiday destinations, spanning from luxurious five-star getaways to exciting adventures. To reshape the public’s perception of their offerings, TUI turned to Amazon Ads partner EssenceMediacom.

EssenceMediacom and TUI produced their own original branded series: The World Cook, an international cooking competition show that featured TUI’s accommodations, restaurants, and range of destinations. The World Cook drove impressive results for TUI, which earned EssenceMediacom a finalist spot for the Creative Brand Building Award finalist in the Amazon Ads Partner Awards.

With a century-long legacy, TUI has a portfolio of 180 destinations, spanning over 400 hotels, 5 airlines, and 16 cruise ships. Although TUI is well known in the UK, many people view the brand as a package holiday provider limited to all-inclusive beach vacations.

But TUI offers much more than what many people believe, from mountain vacations in the Austrian Alps and cultural excursions in Amsterdam to scenic getaways along the cliffs of southern Italy. The brand needed a new, entertaining way to highlight their lesser-known holiday destinations and turned to EssenceMediacom to develop a strategy.

To get people talking about TUI, EssenceMediacom chose to create an entertainment program that could promote the brand in a natural, integrated way. After a series of workshops, the teams identified the ideal focus for the show: food. Working with a production company, EssenceMediacom and TUI developed The World Cook. Hosted by television presenters Fred Sirieix and Emma Willis, this program sees 16 chefs participate in country-specific cooking competitions, often themed around a single ingredient. Their culinary creations are then critiqued by a panel of guest judges, who include Michelin chefs, restaurant critics, television presenters, and more.

The World Cook was hosted in six locations: Majorca, Austria, Amsterdam, Croatia, Italy, and Mexico. TUI selected each of these destinations, authentically integrating their hotels, staff, and branding. For example, each competition takes place at a key TUI destination offering, including many of their TUI BLUE premium hotels. After being crowned “The World Cook,” the winner of the series had one of TUI’s restaurants at the TUI BLUE El Dorado Seaside Suites hotel in Mexico named after them. The winner also had the chance to design a dish for the restaurant’s à la carte menu.

EssenceMediacom launched the series on Prime Video and adopted Amazon Ads products to promote it immediately after the launch. They used Amazon DSP ads to target in-market lifestyle enthusiasts, such as food lovers and avid travelers. Fire TV ads provided viewers with captivating visuals on their TV screens, helping grab their attention and encourage viewership. EssenceMediacom also ran ads during Premier League broadcasts on Prime Video, which helped tap into a larger, engaged audience. With this integrated approach, potential viewers encountered promotions at multiple touchpoints, encouraging audiences to tune in and watch the show.

After launch, viewers streamed 9.6 million minutes of The World Cook, and results showed a marked improvement in their perception of TUI after viewers watched the series.¹

A brand lift study showed a 128% increase in product recall, a 108% increase in purchase intent, and a 5% increase in the perception that TUI offers a variety of destinations. Searches for the locations featured on the program increased as well, with a 77% uplift.²

By combining food and travel into a compelling branded program, EssenceMediacom helped TUI bring the holiday experience to life. With these results, it’s well deserved that the partner is a finalist for the 2023 Creative Brand Building Award.